Hoop toy



March 15, 1960 c. HfKuHN 2,928,206

HOOP TOY Filed 061'.. 16, 1958 Arroz/ver 2,928,206V t Hoor Tor p Charles n. Kulm, Indianapolis, rnd. Application October 16, 1958, SerialNo. 767,532 2 Claims. (ci. 46c-5 1) Y i This invention relates to a hoop or properly termed a trundle and constitutes a playing hoop which is actuated by a very slight motion of the wrist of the player through a wand, from the end of which extends a cord to an attachment with the hoop.. v

' The primaryobject of the invention is to Aprovidea unique device which requires some skill inoperation such as rolling the hoop along a fl'or or the ground; rotating the hoop horizontally in the air; and rotating the hoop vertically in the air. The hoop'may of course be rotated in intermediate positions in respect to those just mentioned, and it may occur to the operator to perform other 'feats under control of a slight rocking of the wandgby the operators hand while exing the wrist.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the 'accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspectiverof one form of the device;

Fig. 2 is a detail in partial section of the attachment of a cord to the operating wand;

Fig. 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale in partial section of the attachment of the cord to the hoop;

Fig. 4 is a suggested diagram of one type of operation of the device;

Fig. 5 is a View in diagrammatic form showing operation of the device in a vertical plane; and

, Fig. v6 is a diagram indicating operation of the device in a substantially horizontal plane.

A tubular hoop is formed of any suitable material, herein indicated as being made out of a plastic tube in one piece generally designated by the numeral 10 and having ends 10a and 10b telescoped over ya cylindrical connector 11. The connector 11 is made of that diameter which will require a frictional gripping thereof when the tube ends 10a and 10b are telescoped thereover so that the hoop may retain its circular formation. The abutting ends 10a and 10b may be secured one to the other in any suitable means such as by heating or by cementing depending upon the material of the tube. Of

" vttes Patent course these ends may be tacked directly to the interconnector 11.

The diameter of the formed hoop 10 may vary, although one particular form such as sixteen inches in diameter operates very well, this dimension not intended to be a limiting factor of the invention. It is desired however that the hoop 10 be formed and remain in a true circular shape.

An opening 12 is provided, substantially one-half in each offthe opposing ends 10a and 10b. The connector 11 is provided with a diametrical bore 13 therethrough intermediateits ends. This bore 13 is centered upon the axis of the opening 12. The bore 13 is provided with a counterbore M at the end thereof removed from the opening 12.. o

A. cord 15 of knitted construction as opposed to a twisted strand construction is selected, and a knot 16 is Figc@ tied in one end. Prior to the telescoping of the ends10a and 10b over the connector 11, the cord 15 is inserted through the bore 13 to have the knot 16 come to. rest o n the shoulder 17 at 'the junction of the counterbore 14 with the bore 13, this knot 16 serving asa pivotal stop. The bore 13 has a diameter exceeding that of the cord 15 so that the cord 15 is perfectly free to not only slide longitudinally, but most importantly to rotate freely within the bore 13. i

The other end ofthe cord 15 is inserted through a hole designated by the numeral 18 near one end of a wand 19. The hole 18 is of a larger diameter than is that of cord 1 5 so that the cord 15 again is free t0 rotate in that 'hole 18. A knot 20 is tied in .the endof the cord 15 which extends through the hole 18. Preferably the endof the wand 19 is flattened as at 21' so as to provide a bearing entirely around and under the knot 20.-

Both of the knots 16 and 20 are preferably treated in some such manner that they will b'e free torotate Yon the flat shoulder 17 of the connector 11 and on thegat 21 of the wand 19 respectively. One possible means of treating the knots is to immerse them in a liquid plastic containing a metal such as aluminum wherein the plastic ordinary twisted strand cord whichV will unwind when v turned in one direction particularly. Neither will the knitted form of the cord 15tend to form knots for the same reason. The cord 15 is preferably provided in a lengthv which will permit the wand 19 to be manipulated in angles below and above the horizontal, these anglesV being rather small even down to two to ve Vdegrees depending upon the action being had in the rotation of the hoop as will be further explained. Where the diameter of the hoop is sixteen inches as above indicated, one particular length of the cord 15 may be approximately twenty-three inches. The wand itself for these dimensions may be approximately the same as the length of the cord 15, even up to an inch or so in greater length if desired. The wand 19 is, in the present instance, a length of quarter inch dowel rod, giving a slight degree of resilience throughout its length. As indicated in Fig. 1., the wand 19 preferably has a short handlev 22 at one end to provide a more comfortable grip.

In the three suggested manners of operation as indicated in Figs. 4-6, the hoop `10 may reston the ground Z3, Fig. 4, with the hoop at approximately a vertical plane and Ywith the hoop ends 10a and 10b at a slight distance above the ground 23 whereupon the wand 19 is given a slight, easy pull upwardly and forwardly to start the hoop p 1t? into rotation while it rests on the ground 23, and

then as the hoop turns over and over, on each upwardly directed movement of those ends 10a, 10b, a Vslight pull is given on the cord 15 to continue this rolling of the hoop 10.

To set -the hoop 1G into rotating action in a substantially vertical plane as indicated in Fig. 5, the hoop is grasped by the one hand and given a slight rotation whereupon the cord 15 is-pulled upwardly as the ends 10a, 10b come on the upward turning side of the hoop, the wand 19 being alternately flipped upwardly and downwardly as the ends 10a, lob -turn around in the orbit of the rotation of the hoop 1t).

Likewise, the hoop 1d may be given a rotation in a" 3 tion by means of alternate movement of the Wand 19 to supply the impulse on each rotation of the hoop It). It is entirely possible to go from the position of the hoopl() as indicated in Fig. 5 to the positionapproaching thehorizontal as indicated in Fig. 6 without stopping the rotation, simply by manipulating the wand 119 to bring about that changerin the plane of rotation.

As the hoop rotates, the cord IS Will of course have to turn upon its axis through the connector bore I3 as well as through the hole 18 so that the entire operation is facilitated by Well lubricated bearings between the knots 16 and 20 on their respective bearing surfaces.

Therefore it is to be seen that I have provided a unique toy which does require some skill although that skill is easily acquired, and while I have described the invention in the one particular form in minute detail, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed particularly in the means for interconnecting the ends of the tubular hoop, and in the bearing ends of the operating cord, all without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be irnposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a hoop operable by a Wand and counterbore; said knot being free to turn circumferentially with the cord.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said hoop ends abut one another around said connector in a line centered on the anis of said bore, and said hoop ends are relieved about the bore inner opening providing clearance around said cord.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 178,352 Wheeler June 6, 1876 .2,071,041 Maggio Feb. 16, 1937 2,624,157 Weeks Ian. 6, 1953 

